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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

2 games announced for LHN, Texas at BYU on ESPN2, Idaho State at BYU on BYUtv

Broadcast plans for Longhorn Network and BYUtv's football coverage have been announced today by ESPN and BYU. Both the New Mexico State and Ole Miss games will air on Longhorn Network. This will be the 2nd straight season Ole Miss vs. Texas airs on Longhorn Network as last year ESPN authorized Longhorn Network to do a broadcast with the Longhorn Radio Network announcers calling the game.

It was a busy day for ESPN in regards to their contracts with single schools. In addition to the 2 Longhorn Network games, ESPN and BYU announced plans for 2 TV broadcasts today. Texas at BYU will air on ESPN2 at 7 PM EDT on September 5. This game was previously announced to air on Sports USA Radio Network, and since BYUtv produces their own broadcasts to show after the Postgame show, it means 3 different broadcast teams will do the Texas at BYU game. Also announced was Idaho State at BYU will air on BYUtv at 3 PM EDT November 16.

The New Mexico State at Texas and Idaho State at BYU games had already been tabbed by most of their fans as games that would air on Longhorn Network and BYUtv, so most of these details aren't surprising. ESPN is currently working on alternative broadcast plans for Ole Miss fans for the Ole Miss at BYU game. Don't be surprised if it becomes a CSS PPV game for the state of Mississippi. Below are the press releases from ESPN and BYU with all the details.

Longhorn Network’s First Two UT Football Games for 2013 Set: New Mexico State and Ole Miss

Longhorn Network will launch its third year with exclusive national telecasts of football matchups against New Mexico State on Saturday, Aug. 31 and Ole Miss on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff for both games is set for 7 p.m. CT.Both games will air live in HD from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

At Texas’ season opener against New Mexico State, UT will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 national championship game, when the Longhorns claimed their first national football crown. LHN will also mark the anniversary with specialty programming including a 60-minute documentary looking back at the ’63 team.

LHN’s two-hour Texas GameDay – the only pre-game show to air exclusively from inside DKR stadium – returns for Fall 2013 to give fans insight, analysis and one-on-one interviews by LHN’s Lowell Galindo. Joining Texas GameDay and Texas GameDay Finalwill be Ahmad Brooks, former defensive player for the Longhorns and team captain in 2001. LHN’s Kaylee Hartung will return to provide reporting from the sidelines.

About Longhorn Network

ESPN has a 20-year agreement to own and operate a year-round, 24-hour network dedicated to Texas athletics in partnership with UT and IMG College.Longhorn Network offers a variety of content, highlighted by more than 200 exclusive events annually from 20 sports, original series and studio shows, historical programming and academic and cultural happenings.

PROVO, Utah (June 4, 2013) — ESPN and BYU today announced the Cougars’ 2013 home opener against the University of Texas on Sept. 7 will be televised nationally on ESPN2 in a 5 p.m. MT (7 p.m. ET) kickoff from LaVell Edwards Stadium. BYU also announced its home game against Idaho State on Nov. 16 will start at 1 p.m. MT (3 p.m. ET) and be televised nationally on BYUtv.

Available in nearly 100 million homes, ESPN2 will carry the BYU-Texas game in an East Coast primetime matchup of two of the winningest programs in college football over the past four decades. BYU ranks No. 5 in total wins (357) since 1972 when Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards took over the program while Big 12 power Texas is No. 7 in overall victories (349) in the same timeframe.

One of seven teams that participated in a 2012 bowl game on the Cougars’ 2013 schedule, Texas will face off with BYU for the fourth time in series history. The Longhorns edged the Cougars, 17-16, in the last meeting in Austin in 2011 after BYU won the first two matchups with a 22-17 win in Austin in 1987 and a 47-6 triumph in Provo in 1988.

BYUtv will televise the fifth meeting between BYU and Idaho State in a series that started in 1932. The Cougars are 4-0 against the Bengals after a 56-3 win in 2011 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. BYUtv is available in more than 65 million homes on Dish Network, DirecTV and more than 600 cable operators in North America.

Television plans for seven of BYU’s 12 games have been announced to date. TV plans and start times for the remaining games on the Cougars’ 2013 football schedule will be announced at a later date.

In 2013, BYU enters its third season of an eight-year exclusive agreement with ESPN. A minimum of three home games will be televised annually on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC with an additional game on ESPNU and at least one game on BYUtv. Adding to the national exposure for Cougar fans and college football followers, BYUtv also airs for the third straight season a live one-hour pregame show and 30-minute postgame show before and after every BYU game throughout the season.

About Me

I am a graduate from BYU-Idaho with a communications degree. Currently I work as a freelance reporter for MRT and Texas Redzone Report. I also supply the national radio CFB information to College Pressbox. I use this blog, and a few other things, to keep my resources sharp and to provide quality information I feel others will enjoy.